The word “psychosis” is used to describe conditions that affect the mind, where there
has been some loss of contact with reality.

Psychosis can cause someone to misinterpret or confuse what is going on around them.
When someone becomes unwell in this way it is called a “psychotic episode”. An
episode is a period of time when someone is having symptoms of psychosis that interferes
with day to day life.

Psychosis is most likely to occur in late adolescence or in early adult years.

Most people fully recover from psychosis, it can happen to anyone and it can be treated.

What are the symptoms of psychosis?

Early signs vary from person to person. They can be vague and hardly noticeable.
There may be changes in how you might describe your thoughts, feelings and perceptions.
The important thing to look for is if these changes get worse or do not go away.

Some of the symptoms are listed below:

Confused Thinking

Everyday thoughts become confused or don’t join up properly

Your sentences seem unclear or don’t make sense

It might be difficult to concentrate, follow a conversation or remember things

Your thoughts might seem to be speeded up or slowed down

False Beliefs

It is common for someone experiencing a psychotic episode to hold false beliefs
(delusions)

You may find it difficult to separate false experiences from reality

You might be so convinced of these beliefs that even the most logical counter-arguments
may not dissuade them from the belief. For example, a person may be convinced that
the way that cars are parked outside his house is irrefutable evidence that the
police are watching

Hallucinations

These symptoms occur when you hear, see, smell, taste or feel something that is not
actually there. For example, you may hear voices when there is no-one else around
and there is nothing else to explain them; or you may see things that other people
can’t see

Things may taste or smell as if they are ‘bad’ or even poisoned

Changed Feelings

In a psychotic episode, how you are feeling may change suddenly for no apparent reason

You may feel ‘strange’ or cut off from the world, with everything moving in slow
motion

Mood swings are common, veering from unusually excited to very low in mood

Sometimes your emotions might be dampened; you might feel less able to express how
you feel

Changed Behaviour

People with psychosis often behave differently from the way they usually do; you
may be extremely active or very tired, sitting around all day

You may laugh inappropriately or become upset and angry for no apparent reason

These changes can be explained by the symptoms previously described – for example,
a person who believes they are in danger may call the police; or someone may stop
eating if they think that their food is poisoned

How common is psychosis?

Psychosis is most likely to occur in young people - around 3 in every 100 young people
(more common than diabetes!) Everyone has some tendency to experience psychotic like
experiences or even psychosis, just as everyone has the potential to become anxious
or depressed. If you notice any of the above symptoms it is really important to speak
to someone you trust.

We know that the earlier someone receives help for their symptoms; they are to recover
more quickly, and can therefore carry on, without too much disruption to everyday
life.

What Causes Psychosis?

There is no single cause of psychosis. Researchers believe that psychosis is caused
by a combination of inherited biological factors that make someone more vulnerable
(more likely) to experience psychotic symptoms. These symptoms can also happen in
response to stress, drug use or social changes, but again it is different for different
people.

What mental illnesses are associated with psychosis?

Many people assume that experiencing psychosis equals a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
However many different conditions are linked with psychosis.

Everyone’s experience of psychosis is different and attaching a specific name or
label to the psychotic episode is not always useful in the early stages. Sometimes,
though, giving a diagnosis can be helpful in knowing what treatment to provide.

When someone has psychosis a diagnosis of a particular illness may be given. Diagnosis
means identification of an illness by a person’s symptoms, and the diagnosis will
depend on what brought on the illness and how long the symptoms last.

Below are some of the diagnoses linked with psychosis:

Drug-induced Psychosis

Using or withdrawing from alcohol or drugs can lead to psychotic symptoms.

Sometimes these symptoms will rapidly disappear as the effects of the drugs/alcohol
wears off. In other cases, the illness may last longer.

Brief Reactive Psychosis

Psychotic symptoms arise suddenly in response to a major stress in the person’s life,
such as a death in the family, change of living situation or exam stress.

Someone usually experiences changes in mood by having extreme highs (mania) or lows
(depression). People with bipolar may also develop psychotic symptoms when in the
high or low mood phases.

Schizoaffective Disorder

This diagnosis is made when the person has symptoms of both a mood disorder (such
as depression or mania) and psychosis. In other words the picture is not typical
of a mood disorder or schizophrenia.

What can you do as a young person who may be experiencing psychosis?

Getting help as soon as possible is the right thing to do!

Tell someone you trust such as a parent, teacher or friend if you are having some
strange experiences you cannot explain.

Treatment for psychosis is available and the earlier you seek help, the better the
outcome and the quicker the recovery.

You may need to see your GP to talk about your concerns. They can then refer you
to your local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) who can offer more
specialist help.

If you have a school counsellor / nurse or learning mentor, they can also be a useful
person to talk to and may also be able to refer you to the local Child and Adolescent
Mental Health Services

Treatment for psychosis can involve:

Medication

Education about psychosis

Talking treatments

Family support and practical support (such as helping a young person get back to
school or work)

There are ways of trying to prevent symptoms of psychosis returning such as not using
drugs, reducing stress and adopting good ways of coping with stress. You could start
by checking out our Your Mental Health / Building your Resilience page which may
give you some tips on how to get better at coping with stress.

What can you do to help a young person with psychosis?

Sometimes young people are reluctant to seek help for their symptoms at first, they
may not realise they are unwell, be worried about how people may react, or feel their
experiences are very personal to them.

Try to be calm and supportive as it can be a frightening and confusing time for a
young person who is experiencing psychosis. If you see persistent changes in the
young person and are worried then seek help from your GP or school nurse

Support the young person to get professional treatment as early as possible as this
helps in reducing the effects of psychosis and aids recovery

It may be helpful to assist the young person practically so that the situation around
them remains as safe and secure as possible. This may mean assisting them to get
to appointments, as people who are experiencing psychosis sometimes find it more
difficult to be organised

It is important to remember that the young person experiencing psychosis may be responding
to things that are real to them but do not make sense to you. Being there for a young
person and understanding that the symptoms may be influencing their actions can help